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Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's controversial plans to change the definition of poverty have been put hold with the Department of Work and Pensions due to put forward a strategy to tackle child poverty instead.

Iain Duncan-Smith's plans to introduce a new definition and targets for child poverty have been blocked by George Osborne. Credit: PA

Unconfirmed reports suggest the Government's three-year strategy includes radical plans to cut water, food and fuel bills for low-income families as well as measure to tackle "worklessness" in the poorest households.

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A research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that five million workers are paid below the living wage. There are now more working families living in poverty than non-working ones, the research has found.

"While the labour market has shown signs of revival in the last year, the number of people in low-paid jobs has risen and average incomes have fallen," the report said.

The report also says job insecurity is increasingly common in the UK. It says one in six members of the workforce has claimed Jobseekers' Allowance at some point in the last two years.

The Health Secretary said: "This shocking variation in early and unnecessary deaths means people's lives are needlessly cut short and that cannot continue unchecked.

"I want areas to use the data released today to identify local public health challenges like smoking, drinking and obesity and to take action to help achieve our ambition for saving 30,000 lives a year by 2020."